Brian Wilson

Before European arrival, the site of the NGV contemporary was a wetland with a diversity of bird life, and vegetation. The nearby Yarra River was a source of life, and culture for the Indigenous Kulin people. Today the NGVC site is at the heart of Melbourne’s culture and art precinct, but entirely disconnected from its ecological and indigenous past. So how can architecture blend culture, place, and environment?

It is important that the NGV contemporary speaks to the indigenous history and memory of the site, while also responding to its modern context. In an interview Kengo Kuma explained how new creations come out of continuity. It is not about copying the past, but about finding new ways forward while understanding past values. NGV Contemporary facilitates this by exploring the Yarra River as an element that has remained culturally significant both before settlement, and in Melbourne today. The NGVC proposes two art galleries connected to each other and the city by a landscaped promenade, with an architectural language derived from the movement of water. The buildings take inspiration from water ripples, this results in a dynamic building massing with simple intersecting volumes. The form also draws on Zaha Hadid’s concept of embedding the project into the context with all possible relationships, so that visitors feel drawn from multiple entry points. There is a focus on sustainable design and a light touch, because like, the NGVC is impermanent and is something that will eventually dissipate and return to quietude. The internal organization of the NGVC and promenade is informed by the idea of a river where bends and curves can create a non-linear journey that encourages users to pause and reflect on their experience.

_References

_{Kuma, K. (2008). Anti-object: the Dissolution and Disintegration of Architecture. London, UK: Architectural Association Publications}

_{De Klee, K. (2016). Sou Fujimoto on multi-layered and conceptual architecture [Video]. Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=354&v=_5DDDC28vck&feature=emb_title&ab_channel=DesignIndaba}

_{JAPAN HOUSE OFFICIAL (2016). JAPAN HOUSE｜INTERVIEW｜Kengo Kuma [Video]. Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1wj6I2638g}

_{City of Melbourne, 2015. SOUTHBANK BOULEVARD & DODDS STREET Ecological, Heritage And Cultural Place Assessment. Melbourne: City of Melbourne.}

_{Zaha Hadid Architects, 2017. Zaha Hadid Architects - Redefining Architecture And Design. Images Publishing.}

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